Bite No. 2: a week of deals in Echo Park

Q: What Olympic event was won by American Frank Shorter in 1972?

If there's one thing I know I'm good at (who am I kidding? I'm good at lots of things!), it's finding a good deal. And I'm not talking about shopping at Ross or the 99 cents store, I'm talking about finding quality places that offer great products at a great rate for all of you recession-istas out there. These are budget conscience times, so looking for a good deal is no shame... in fact, it's a reason to be proud.
The Park at 1400 Sunset Blvd in (you guessed it) Echo Park is a lovely neighborhood restaurant that offers fantastic dining prices not one, not two, but three nights a week! And it's no hole in the wall. Sure the restaurant is small, quaint, modestly and tastefull y decorated (you know, everything a cozy restaurant should be), but the food packs a wallop. Main dishes are large, flavorful, and complex- focusing on American fare with fresh, local ingredients. Even when deals aren't being offered, the menu is a steal, considering whatever dish that comes out of that very visible small window to the kitchen is prepared with love.
But screw love when you could save a couple of bucks. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays are the nights to go to The Park, as each night brings in the reservations thanks to their stellar deals. Tuesday is a 3 course fixed price menu for $15, typically themed for whatever holiday or ocassion currently graces the calendar. For example, this past week the menu featured Matzoh ball soup, brisket with kasha varnishkes and escarole, and profiteroles with ice cream and chocolate sauce for dessert in honor of Passover. All of that for $15!? You got it.
If Tuesday is too early in the week for you to dine out, just wait until Wednesday when you can come into The Park for a Burger and a side for $5. That's right, it's cheaper than most fast food value meals and twice as good. What the hell, ten times as good. Considering that your munching on a 6 oz sirloin or veggie burger with a choice of potato salad, pasta salad, french fries, cole slaw, or a side salad, in a place that allows you to BYOB (beer, wine, what have you) for a small corkage fee, you can't find a more inexpensive evening out. And in case you are a person who wants to be a part of a "scene," don't worry, The Park brings in hipsters, yuppies, and everything in between with its fantastic deals.
Are you a person who only treats themselves on the weekends? Well then you have Friday night to visit The Park, when you choose an appetizer, main course, and dessert from the regular dinner menu for only $20. Here's some perspective for you: on the regular dinner menu the starters range from $8-10. the main courses from $12-18, and the desserts are all priced at $7. Even if you ordered the least expensive option in each category, you end up saving yourself $7 (or the price of an extra dessert)! This kind of deal can be found in Los Angeles on a Friday night? At 1400 Sunset Blvd it can.
But how's the grub, you might be asking yourself. Well on a recent Friday night visit, I indulged in the Gorgonzola Dolce & Roast Pear Galette, the Roast Jidori Half Chicken, and the warm apple tart with vanilla ice cream. This was a meal full of bold flavors. My gorgonzola dolce and Roast Pear Galette was the perfect combination of warm appetizer and salad. Warm, flaky pastry pockets of gorgonzola cheese were topped carefully with slices of perfectly tart pear, toasted almonds, warm frisee, and spinach, drizzled with a light brown butter vinegarette. I couldn't have asked for more flavor on one plate. My dining companion ordered the caesar salad (nothing to write home about), but its worth mentioning that the salad came with real anchovies. Got to love that. The main entrees were fantastic. Really. Not only was my chicken absolutely huge, but the heaping pile of pommes frites, and the generous portion of wild arugula, perfectly showcased how happy a customer can be when quantity meets quality. My dining companion may have one-upped my main course selection with a perfectly cooked (rare, and if you get a steak cooked anything over, you are the killing the cow twice over) grilled 8 oz. Vintage Hanger Steak. And the pan roasted brussel sprouts with bernaise sauce is worth mentioning as well.
It breaks my heart to tell you that with a deal as good as this one, there has to be one area of dissapointment. The desserts were less than fantastic. My piping hot mug (yes it was in a mug) of an apple crisp tart was unwisely topped with a scoop of cold vanilla ice cream. Now when I say piping hot, I do mean PIPING hot. Who tops this with ice cream? I found myself scooping the ice cream off of the tart so that it wouldn't melt into soup in 30 seconds. My efforts were in vain, as most of the ice cream had already melted and the apple crisp tart was too hot to even enjoy with what little ice cream I had left. Too bad. And my companion's chocolate pot-de-creme? Clearly made the night before. Just ask the pudding skin that crowned the top of it.
But hey, I can forgive dessert, because both my stomach and my wallet left fat and happy. With such a cute place like The Park pumping out such good food in such a quaint setting at such affordable prices, it makes you want to visit Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, completing a true eating-out marathon.

A: the marathon